Month: December 2016

I know most people say that the magic of [traveling for] the holidays is simply being with your family – or those whom you’d rather call your family and loved ones. However, there is a certain amount of magic spending the holidays alone. I’m not talking hermit style- shut in, never getting out of bed and not showering (cause that’s gross UNLESS you’re camping)… I’m referring to taking a mind clearing, go anywhere adventure – alone.

Nap along my hike

My Loaded Longboard

hello world!

Doing what makes you happy and what you love is more important [to me & my sanity] than being coerced into a family gathering where no one is actually as happy as the fake smile on their faces. You say you’re happy to just spend time with each other and tell one another you love them – but why should it take a holiday for that!? My parents, siblings, cousins, grandparents, etc.. should all want to tell me these things, ANY day of the year. I’ll gladly call you up on Monday, March 6th 2017 and tell you how special you are… the date has no relevance to anything other than it comes after March 5th – nor should a day dictate when I say I love my family. I certainly don’t have any special attachment to hearing it on Christmas, Hanukkah, Valentine’s Day, New Years, or any other hallmark holiday.

This December 24th-25th (yes, Christmas Eve to X-Mas Day … & Hanukkah) I decided MY party was going to be in my car, at the beach, at a campground, away from anyone I already knew, alone. Cruising around the campground on my skateboard saying “Happy Holidays” (in my floppy blue elf hat) to the families camping beside me was so much more fulfilling than sitting in a room at my childhood home, pretending that was where I wanted to be. It’s probably also why all our family gatherings has a near constant flow of alcohol… it’s Happy Juice! AND makes Happy JEWS. 😀

Bee pollinating a flower

My floppy blue elf hat

My SOHO (Solo-Holiday) Camping trip was ever so wonderful. I had no agenda, no schedule and no one I was forced to say anything to. I could have gone mute for the two days if I had wanted. I got to sit in complete peace and serenity while watching the sun set over the waves crashing in the pacific ocean. Birds were flying & chirping, and the wind was blowing, reminding me it was winter. I got to walk and hike around where and when I wanted, at my own pace, taking all the ridiculous selfies I wanted to! I saw wetlands, tar-pit remains, creatures, beautiful views and true smiles. It was a true gift to myself –a peace and sanity refill.

As the Campin’ Chix slogan/motto goes – “LEAVING BEHIND VANITY IN SEARCH OF OUR SANITY” I need to live by my own motto more often. Maybe you should try it too?

Leave behind your vanity

Happy any day of the year! Love yourself! Love your loved ones. Remind them often. And make sure to find time to do what makes YOU HAPPY. — [Campin’ Chix W]

(all photos from this trip belong to the Campin’ Chix and were taken along the PCH and in Carpinteria, CA)

Pet Friendly:(4) YUP- PETS ARE VERY WELCOME. WE SAW SEVERAL CAMPERS WITH THEIR DOGS. THERE IS DOG-FRIENDLY HIKING NEARBY.

Family Friendly:(3) IT IS AND IT ISN’T. IF YOU ARE A FAMILYTHAT CAN ROUGH IT A LITTLE AND LIKES TO HIKE THIS IS GREAT. THIS CAMPGROUND HAS FEWER AMENITIES THAN SOME OF THE OTHERS (BASICALLY JUST PIT TOILETS) BUT THE TOWN OF IDYLLWILD NEARBY HAS MANY FUN ACTIVITIES FOR THE FAMILY.

Cleanliness: (3.5) IT WAS PRETTY CLEAN BUT WE WERE HERE DURING THE OFF-SEASON. OUR CAMPSITE WAS ESPECIALLY CLEAN WITH MARKED WALKWAYS THROUGHOUT THE SITE. THE BATHROOMS, HOWEVER, WERE STINKY. THE TABLE WAS CLEAN AND OUR FIRE PIT HAD A LITTLE TRASH IN IT. THERE WERE 2 BIG DUMPSTERS, BUT NO RECYCLING.

Noise Level: (4) THIS IS A SMALLER CAMPGROUND WHERE EACH SPOT FEELS SECLUDED AND FAR AWAY FROM THE SPOT NEXT TO IT. IT IS EXTREMELY PEACEFUL, HOWEVER WE COULD HEAR NOISE FROM A LARGE GROUP OF KIDS NEARBY. OVERALL THOUGH, THESE CAMPSITES FELT THE MOST SECLUDED OF ANY WE HAVE BEEN TOO SO FAR.

Restrooms: (2) THE RESTROOMS WERE….NEEDING IMPROVEMENTS. FIRST OF ALL WE ARRIVED AT NIGHT AND IT WAS PITCH BLACK. NONE OF US COULD FIND THE RESTROOM SO WE USED NATURE THE FIRST NIGHT. THEN, WHEN WE WOKE UP, TO OUR SURPRISE, THE RESTROOM WAS LITERALLY RIGHT NEXT OUR SPOT…I’M TALKING LIKE 30 FEET FROM OUR TENT! NEEDLESS TO SAY, THEY NEED LIGHTS ON THE RESTROOMS! THE BATHROOMS ARE JUST PIT TOILETS. THEY ARE STINKY. THERE IS NO SINK OR MIRROR OR ANY OTHER FANCY AMENITY…JUST A PIT TOILET IN A ROOM….AND THEY STINK! THOUGH, I HAVE TO ADMIT, THEY WERE NOT HORRIBLY DIRTY.

Campsite Space: (4)THESE SPOTS ARE HUGE! THEY FEEL VERY FAR APART AND SOME ARE HIDDEN BEHIND HUGE BOULDERS. IT WAS A PRETTY NEAT CAMPGROUND THAT FELT PRETTY SECLUDED, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT WHEN IT WAS PITCH BLACK AND YOU COULD NOT SEE YOUR NEIGHBORS AT ALL. NOTE THOUGH, MANY OF THE SPOTS HAVE A WALK UP A HILL OR AROUND A BEND FROM THE PARKING SPOT. ALSO, WE STRUGGLED TO FIT 2 CARS IN OUR PARKING.

The first half of our spot (site 15)Up the hill to the left from the previous picture was more of our siteThis cool spot was behind that huge boulder

Shade/Sun: (4) TREES TREES TREES. THERE WERE LOTS OF FUN TREES. MANY SPOTS HAD GOOD OPPORTUNITIES FOR USING A HAMMOCK. SUN WAS NEVER AN ISSUE FOR US HERE, BUT IT WAS ALSO LATE OCTOBER.

Ground: (2.5) DIRT – WELL CLEANED OF ANY DEBRIS, VERY HILLY. WE HAD A HARD TIME FINDING A COMPLETELY FLAT SPOT FOR OUR TENTS, AND ENDED UP SLEEPING ON STEEPER INCLINES THEN WE WOULD HAVE LIKED. WE JUST HAD TO REMEMBER TO PUT OUR HEADS AT HIGHER ELEVATION.

Bugs/Critters/Wildlife: (3)IT WAS PRETTY VOID OF ANY WILDLIFE, ACTUALLY. THERE ARE NO BEARS HERE, SO NO NEED FOR BEAR LOCKERS. WE DIDN’T SEE OR HEAR ANY COYOTES EITHER. WE DIDN’T EVEN SEE RACCOONS. IN FACT, THERE WERE VERY FEW BUGS TOO. IT WAS FAIRLY COLD WHEN WE CAME SO MAYBE IN SUMMER THERE ARE MORE BUGS. THE ONLY WILDLIFE WE REALLY SAW WERE LOTS OF BIRDS.

Amenities:

PIT TOILETS

FIRE PITS WITH GRILL

WOOD PICNIC TABLES IN POOR CONDITION

WATER SPIGOTS (NOT DRINKABLE!!!!!)

BOULDERS TO CLIMB

MANY TREES!

LOST OF GREAT HIKING NEARBY

Comments from the “Chix”

Well this was a special trip. Just getting here is a bit of an adventure, and we wouldn’t recommend doing it after the sun goes down (we did that and had trouble finding the campground). This campground is located down a windy road off of the highway and during the day it offers spectacular views. There are lots of boulders to climb and so much hiking nearby, plus the cute town of Idyllwild has lots of shops and art galleries. We really enjoyed the isolation that this campground offered. Each spot was big and tucked away behind trees or boulders from the spots next to so they felt very private. The biggest downside for us was the lack of flat ground for our tents. Overall though, this was a very fun place to go camping. The hiking nearby is just awesome. In fact, this campground is the trail head for one of the hikes to the peak of Mount San Jacinto (a very strenuous hike though). We opted for the nearby Devil’s Slide trail which requires a special permit from the USFS station in town. Remember to get a wildnerss pass if you plan to park at any of the trail heads not in the campground itself.

Pros: Come for the hiking, and isolation. You really feel a million miles away from the city here, even though its not that far of a drive. This is the trail head for a full day, rewarding hike to the top of Mt. San Jacinto, and there are many other trails nearby for hikers of all levels. The campground was beautiful and we enjoyed all of the trees and rocks to climb on. The nearby town of Idyllwild is also a cute place to spend an afternoon strolling and would be a fun place to bring kids.

Cons: As much as we really enjoyed this trip, there were a few drawbacks of this campground. For one, no campfires during fire season. We had to use a permit in order to even use our single-burner camp stove (which has a shut-off valve). The biggest draw back I think was the lack of flat area for our tent. Maybe we just got the wrong spot, I’m sure there were other spots that were flatter. Also, the bathrooms were pretty unappealing and we favored using nature when we could. Lastly, no drinking water. In fact, the water was contaminated and there were signs warning you not to use it. Hope they fix that before next season.

Tips: Bring potable water, as there isn’t any drinking water available at the campground. Also, we’d recommend arriving before sunset. We had trouble finding the campground and it is down a long, windy, mountain road. Lastly, make sure to get a campfire permit for using your stove if its fire season.